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Saturday 3 September 2011

Did you just say 'gimp' mask?

Me: Okay class, I need you to tell me what costumes you would wear to a costume party?
Student 1: Pirate
Student 2: MasterChief from Halo
Student 3: Gimp mask
Me: What? No! No! You would not wear that.

For the love of the flying spaghetti monster why does a 13 year old student know about gimp masks? I found myself shocked and feeling a little more naive than I'm used to. It's those rose coloured glasses that I keep forgetting to take off because I swear, when I was that age, I didn't know diddly squat. I had a basic understanding of sex but, at thirteen, it wasn't something that I obsessed over. Actually, I didn't even think about it since there were far too many other things to be thinking about. Plus I was a nerd and, quite possibly, one of the most awkward people ever. (I'm still rather awkward as the following exchange may prove)

Student: Miss, you are just like Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory.
Me: I am? *Quirk's eyebrow*
Student: Yeah but with better social skills.
Me: Heh yay.

Obviously, I am still at a loss to fully understand a lot of social situations. So much, in fact, that I've been thinking of getting a tag made that says 'I am socially awkward, if I look confused please inform me of the proper social protocol.'
I often find myself standing in a bar or pub, waiting for friends and feeling as if someone will turn and point at me before telling me that I am not allowed to be in there. Or, I'll arrive early somewhere and I'm never sure if I go in and wait or if I shall wait in my car and then I'm stuck. But that's just one of my many quirks. It's nothing that I'm ashamed of and, like I tell my students, if you can't laugh at yourself...well, you know what I mean.

Anyway, it's the weekend, and the sun is out. This means I'll probably be inside all day. So I will wrap it up here since I have washing to do and lessons to plan.

Peace and pancakes.




13 comments:

  1. "if I look confused please inform me of the proper social protocol" hahaha this made me laugh pretty hard. I honestly think that most people are socially awkward, it's just the ones with enough self respect and self awareness who realize it. And like you said, knowing how to laugh at yourself goes a long way.

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  2. I'm glad that I'm not the only one. Though I still feel those tags, or maybe a shirt, would go a long way. :)

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  3. i'm right there with you, jayjay. i decided many years ago to just embrace my social awkwardness.

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  4. Social awkward means you think you're doing something wrong in public, I was much like you until i realized that people will love or hate you no matter what you do so I decided just to have fun and not care what people I have never met think of me.

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  5. if they have the internet chances are they know of worse than a gimp mask

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  6. @-E- I think that's a good thing. I do that as much as possible. Makes for some more interesting times.

    @Inverse - words of pure wisdom. I might have to copy them down somewhere to remind me that it's okay to be me. :)

    @Ting Kubby - I try not to think of that. And we don't have the best of internet connections around this area...yeah I'm trying to think of reasons to keep them innocent.

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  7. One half of my year 9 students don't know where babies come from, while the other half are discussing which flavoured lube is the best and how to make an orgasm last just that little bit longer.
    It is somewhat distressing but at last there is something the students can teach me!

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  8. Oh my gosh. I swear, sometimes I feel more naive than my students. Though, like you said, students can teach us something...whether they realise this or not.

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  9. lol, I was googling about "GIMP", a software for Linux that is similar (though with fewer features) to Photoshop in Windows and accidentally found your blog. But you surely have a writing style and I love it.

    Greetings from Vietnam :D

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  10. btw, you now have a Vietnamese follower. Cheers :D

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  11. Yay for accidental finds. Thanks for the compliment. I have always wanted to travel to Vietnam. :)

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  12. I would be offended if I got called Sheldon. I don't know why, but I don't think of him automatically as 'that really smart guy', the first thing I always think of is 'spineless wimp.' Attention, nerds of the world, we can be smart and confident at the same time, you know!

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  13. "We can be smart and confident at the same time." I love it. Totally true.

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